1 Corinthians
14:1-12
The Message
(MSG)
Prayer Language
14 1-3 Go
after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give
yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth.
If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but
no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. But
when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you’re letting others in
on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence
with you.
4-5 The one who
prays using a private “prayer language” certainly gets a lot out of it, but
proclaiming God’s truth to the church in its common language brings the whole
church into growth and strength. I want all of you to develop intimacies with
God in prayer, but please don’t stop with that. Go on and proclaim his clear
truth to others. It’s more important that everyone have access to the knowledge
and love of God in language everyone understands than that you go off and
cultivate God’s presence in a mysterious prayer language—unless, of course,
there is someone who can interpret what you are saying for the benefit of all.
6-8 Think, friends:
If I come to you and all I do is pray privately to God in a way only he can
understand, what are you going to get out of that? If I don’t address you
plainly with some insight or truth or proclamation or teaching, what help am I
to you? If musical instruments—flutes, say, or harps—aren’t played so that each
note is distinct and in tune, how will anyone be able to catch the melody and
enjoy the music? If the trumpet call can’t be distinguished, will anyone show
up for the battle?
9-12 So if you speak
in a way no one can understand, what’s the point of opening your mouth? There
are many languages in the world and they all mean something to someone. But if I
don’t understand the language, it’s not going to do me much good. It’s no
different with you. Since you’re so eager to participate in what God is doing,
why don’t you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?
If you have ever been to
church where they don’t speak your language you can probably relate to what
Paul is saying in today’s reading. These verses bring back memories of sitting
through hours and hours of beautiful and passionate services where I had no
idea what was going on because I didn’t speak the language. Anyone who has
experienced this knows it is difficult to get something out of a service when
you don’t understand what is being said or what is happening. Paul addresses
this issue with the Corinthians about speaking in tongues or a “private prayer
language” while you are together with other believers in corporate worship.
The Corinthians were excited
about receiving gifts from the Holy Spirit like speaking in tongues, but didn’t
quite understand what the gift should be used for – Paul explains that when you
are gathered together you should use your gifts to build others up and he points out the
truth that when you don’t understand what is being said it’s difficult to be
built up.
At Northside I don’t see us
struggling with using the gift of tongues improperly, however, what Paul is
addressing as the root of the issue with the Corinthians seems to apply to us
directly. The last thing Paul says in today’s reading drives his point home;
“Since you are so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don’t you
concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?”
How often are we concerned
with what will be good for those around us – what will build them up? How often
do we consider our brothers and sisters in Christ above ourselves? In our
Lifegroups, how often do we think about what would be best for the group rather
than just for me or my family? Paul is pushing the Corinthians to see that what
they do and the gifts they were given were meant to build up the body just as
he said a few chapters earlier in 1 Corinthians 12:7. In the body of Christ, we
are meant to be looking out for one another, doing what will build each other
up, helping one another and treating each other like we want to be treated.
It seems that we, as the
whole body of Northside, do a pretty good job of this but it really comes down
to personal responsibility for each of us. Each person who is a part of our
body is important and useful and should be seen and treated that way. YOU are
an important part of the body of Northside and as a part of the body we need
you to be looking out for and building up the other parts.
I loved seeing so many of you
coming out to the Ministry and Missions Fair on Sunday to see how you can serve
and use the unique gifts God has given you to benefit others. I encourage you
to continue praying about the opportunities you saw on Sunday, think about
where you can serve not based on whether it will be convenient for you but how
you can best use your gifts and talents to build others up.
God is calling Northside to
do amazing things and we need everyone – each gift and talent – to accomplish what
He is calling us to do. We serve an incredible God and He has given us the
chance to join Him in doing incredible things together. So glad to be serving
this incredible God with YOU!
- Vicki Sommerwerck
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